Jaguar

 

Jaguar is the only big cat found in Americas. It used to be worshipped as a sacred animal.

It has an exceptionally powerful bite and has twice the strength of lion and is only next to Spotted Hyena in strength.

They are capable of climbing, crawling and swimming

There are two variations of jaguar in terms of color: black and spotted  yellowish orange and black

They are endangered

They are found mainly in South America

Physical Description

                     CHARACTERISTICS                                                                                   PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Looks similar to leopard with the following differences

The coat varies from off-white to black

Its black rosettes are wider-spaced than the leopard

Unlike leopard often have one or more dark spots in the center.

                           LENGTH                 5 TO 6 FEET                                 WEIGHT                  150-300 LBS                             RANGE

Jaguars have a large distribution, they are found from southern Arizona and New Mexico south toward northern Argentina and northeastern Brazil.

HABITAT

They  prefer dense, tropical moist lowland forests that offer plenty of cover, although they are also found in scrubland, reed thickets, coastal forests, swamps, and thickets. They are found also near water, such as rivers, slow moving streams, lagoons, watercourses, and swamps

DIET

They eat a wide variety of prey, over 85 species have been reported in the diet of jaguars. Preferred prey are large animals, such as peccaries, tapirs, and deer. They also prey on caimans capybara tu rtles porcupines, fish, large birds, and many other animals.

GESTATION PERIOD

.

91 to 111 days; avg. 101 days

LIFESPAN

11- 12 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity

Reason for this status –

Many populations remain stable but jaguars are threatened throughout most of their range by hunting, persecution, and habitat destruction. Jaguars are persecuted especially in areas of cattle ranching, where they are often shot on sight despite protective legislation.

What type of animal is it –

Carnivore

STATUS                   THREATENED

  JAGUAR

CLEVELAND ZOO

CLEVELAND , OHIO

BLACK JAGUAR